Jus soli
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Jus soli (Latin for "right of the territory"), or birthright citizenship, is a right by which nationality or citizenship can be recognised to any individual born in the territory of the related state. At the turn of the 19th century, nation-states commonly divided themselves between those granting nationality on the grounds of jus soli (France, for example) and those granting it on the grounds of jus sanguinis ("right of blood") (Germany, for example). However, most European countries chose the German conception of an "objective nationality", based on "blood", "race" or language (as in Fichte's classical definition of a nation), opposing themselves to republican Ernest Renan's "subjective nationality", based on an every-day plebiscite of one's appartenance to his Fatherland. This non-essentialist conception of nationality allowed the implementation of jus soli, against the essentialist jus sanguinis. However, today's massive increase of refugees (which immediately followed World War I, as did Agamben underlined in Homo Sacer - 2005) has somehow blurred the lines between these two antagonistic sources of right.
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Lex soli
Usually a practical regulation of the acquisition of nationality or citizenship of a state by birth on the territory of the state is provided by a derivative law called lex soli. Most states provide a specific lex soli, in application of the respective jus soli, and it is the most common means of acquiring nationality. A frequent exception to lex soli is imposed when a child was born to a parent in the diplomatic or consular service of another state, on a mission to the state in question.
Blurred lines between jus soli and jus sanguinis
However, increasingly countries are restricting lex soli by requiring that at least one of the child's parents be a national of the state in question at the child's birth, or a legal permanent resident of the territory of the state in question at the child's birth, or that the child be a foundling found on the territory of the state in question. The primary reason for imposing this requirement is to limit or prevent people from travelling to a country with the specific intent of gaining citizenship for a child. The 27th amendment to the constitution of the Republic of Ireland was passed by referendum in 2004 for this purpose.
Deportations
Sometimes, a country which extends jus soli will ignore it in the case of the child of a parent who is later deported. For example, there are several cases of deportation, from Canada or European countries such as France, which have been bitterly contested because they involve a mother who has given birth in Canada and whose child is therefore a Canadian citizen. The government must then either separate the mother and her child upon deporting her, or else deport a Canadian citizen to a foreign country.
Specific national legislation
Jus soli is common in countries in the Americas, that wanted to develop and increase their own citizenry. Some countries that observe jus soli:
Modification of Jus soli
In a number of countries, the automatic application of jus soli has been modified to impose some additional requirements for children of foreign parents, such as the parent being a permanent resident or having lived in the country for a period of time. Jus soli has been modified in the following countries:
- United Kingdom on 1 January 1983
- Australia on 20 August 1996
- Republic of Ireland on 1 January 2005
- New Zealand on 1 January 2006
- France also operates a modified form of jus soli
German nationality law was changed on 1 January 2000 to introduce a modified concept of Jus soli. Prior to that date, German nationality law was based entirely on Jus sanguinis
Abolition of Jus soli
Some countries which formerly operated Jus soli have moved to abolish it completely, only conferring citizenship on children born in the country if one of the parents is a citizen of that country. These include:
United States
Recently, due to the abuse of the policy by illegal immigrants, there have been moves (thus far unsuccessful) to abolish it in the United States. Amendment of United States citizenship law to remove jus soli would require a Constitutional amendment.
See also
A minor, quite improper use of the term jus soli refers to the jurisdiction: in this case it would indicate that the law to use is the law of the nation-state in whose territory the evaluated fact happened. But, as said, it is not considered a correct use of the term, or at least is it considered misleading.
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